NEW DELHI: Thousands of Indian farmers took to the streets on Thursday, protesting the government’s failure to protect their interests in the India-US interim trade framework.
Demonstrators burned symbolic copies of the pact and accused the government of pushing through the agreement without proper consultation.
Trade Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, however, defended the agreement, asserting that adequate safeguards remain in place.
Opposition parties, led by Congress lawmakers, joined the outcry, staging protests outside the parliament complex. Waving placards reading “Trap Deal” and “US deal will destroy farmers,” they accused the government of compromising the interests of both farmers and domestic industries.
The pact has invigorated memories of protests in 2020-21 that forced the Indian government to withdraw and revoke three laws aimed at deregulating agricultural markets.
Trade Minister Piyush Goyal has rejected allegations that the India-US interim trade arrangement compromises farmers’ interests, asserting that most agricultural products were deliberately kept outside the pact.
Key items, including dairy, poultry, rice, wheat, and several fruits and vegetables, remain excluded, he said, accusing opposition parties of misleading farmers.
Despite these assurances, thousands of farmers joined nationwide protests called by the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM)—a coalition of over 100 farm groups—alongside opposition-affiliated trade unions.
They warned that the deal could open the door to subsidised US farm imports, potentially depressing domestic prices and threatening rural livelihoods.
Prominent leader Rakesh Tikait confirmed that demonstrations were held across multiple states, including Bihar, Haryana, Odisha, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu.
He said farmers were asserting their rights over their land and pledged not to cede their fields to market forces.
The agreement would hit India’s farmers and the poor because of lower tariff barriers, said Purushottam Sharma, another farmer leader.
Amarjeet Kaur, general secretary of the All India Trade Union Congress, confirmed that workers in industrial towns also joined the demonstrations, voicing opposition to both the India-US trade deal and the government’s labour policies.
Despite the widespread protests, local media reports indicated that economic activity across the country remained largely unaffected.
Meanwhile, Trade Minister Piyush Goyal announced that Indian textile and apparel exporters stand to benefit from zero-tariff concessions on the use of US cotton, once the bilateral trade agreement is formally signed.
